Automobile locking structure



April 1939- R. A SANDBERG 2,155,064

AUTOMOBILE LOCKING STRUCTURE Filed April 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 1939. R. A. SANDBERG 2,155,064

AUTOMOBILE LOCKING STRUCTURE Filed April 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 2 2 5/7 I '/.a" a2 %458 59 m5 H 54 Z 5 57 I 5 4 l 2? 3 62.: 1:5 2 5 Z8 Z6 54 5/ 21 Fig a? a a 6 fifl/ae mn;

'i 66 52 6/ 76 72 6 t I 71 b 5 2 Z2 2 55 75 3 55 54 67- Q 75 08 69 m b7 17703 @fl kfiafief Patented Apr. 18, 1939 2,155,064 AUTOMOBILE LOCKING STRUCTURE Bay A. Sandberg, Waukegan,

111., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application April 4, 1938, Serial No. 199,885

2 Claims.

This invention relates to locking of automotive vehicles and concerns particularly an improved locking arrangement for locking the steering wheel and shaft against steering movement.

The important object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient locking arrangement in which a lock structure is mounted on a bearing bracket for the steering shaft and provided with a locking element key operable for 1Q interlocking engagement with a keeper element secured directly to the steering wheel hub, and with the lock body concentric with and disposed directly below the wheel hub.

The various features and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and the drawings, in which drawmgs:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper end of the steeringshaft and the steering wheel and the bearing bracket therefor with the lock structure mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical diametral section;

Figure 3 is a section on plane III-III Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a view like Figure 2 showing a modified arrangement.

Referring to Figure 1, It represents a bearing and supporting bracket which is hollow or of tubular form and of generally frusto conical shape, and provided with a base ll set on the bias and adapted to be secured to a rigid support such as the instrument board or panel !2 in an automotive vehicle.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the steering shaft 13 may be in. the form of a tube having its upper end portion deflected radially outwardly to form a flange M towhich the steering wheel W is to be secured. The wheel rim is supported by spokes l5 extending from a hub ring it and. preferably the hub ring and the spokes are part of an integral sheet metal stamping. In order to rigidly lock the wheel hub and steering shaft l3 together against relative rotational displacement, I have cut away a portion. of the steering shaft flange M to leave arcuate teeth M for fitting into correspondingly shaped recesses l1 stamped out of the inner peripheral portion of the hub ring I6, as clearly shown in Figure 3. I have shown a hub head l8 which may be of suitable material intimately molded around the inner end of the spokes l5 and the outer peripheral portion of the hub ring 16.

The steering shaft l3 extends concentrically 55 through the bracket l0, and the upper end of the bracket is contracted to form a cylindrical neck 19 and the annular shoulder 20, the upper end portion of the neck being deflected radially inwardly to form the annular seat 2i.

Describing now the lockin annular structure body 22 is g structure, the lock and intimately receives the neck IQ of the bracket and rests on be rigidly secured in outer face of the body the shoulder 20 and may place as by screws 23, the

aligning with theouter surface of Extending upwardly from the the bracket I U.

the body of body 22 is the annular flange or wall 24 within which is a gland frame 25 which seats on the gland 25 may be is spaced away from body 22 and is secured as by screws 26.

formed of sheet metal and it but surrounds the steering The shaft l3, its upper end being converged inwardly to form a seat for a guide and sealing washer by a spring 28 to intimately surround the steering tube l3 and align 21 which is held in place the tube end in the bracket l seal, the washer preferably such as rubber.

The flange 24 has t and to serve as: a being of material a lateral extension 29, the

body 22, the flange 24 and its extension 29 being preferably part of an.

integral structure such as a casting. The extension 29v has the cylindrical bore 30 for the various ing parts shown comprise carrying a locking jected into the space surro locking parts.

a locking plunger 3| bolt 32 adapted to be prounded by the flange The lock- 24 of the lock frame structure. I have shown a cup-shaped keeper structure 33 whose base has the opening 34 throng [3 extends, the base side of the hub ring steering tube.

drical chamber sheet metal cup 36 which controlling button 31.

cup has the central opening 3 the bore of the steering engagin The hub head or recess- 34- which receives the accommodates the horn The bottom 38 of the rests against the top of the hub ring it and which registers with tube l3.

which the steering tube g against the under 16 and the flange M on the has the cylin- As shown the metal around the opening 39 is deflected and folded against the under 38 and rests against the flange tube, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

side of the cup bottom of the steering Screws: 40

extend through the cup bottom 38 and the hub ring I6 and have bottom of the keeper threaded engagement in the structure 33 sothat the hub ring l6 and the steering tube flange 14 are rigidly clamped between the bottom of the cup bottom 38 and the keeper, such clamping keeping the tooth sections M of the steering tube flange seated within the recesse the hub ring,

the keeper structure 33 being thus rigidly secured to the steering wheel hub ring and the steering shaft to rotate therewith.

The cylindrical body of the keeper structure 33 is surrounded by the flange 24 of the lock structure housing and has an opening 4| therethrough for receiving the end of the lock bolt 32 on the locking plunger 3| when the plunger is shifted inwardly, the steering wheel being then securely locked against rotation.

The opening 4| is preferably located so as to be in alignment with the locking bolt when the steering wheel is in position corresponding with straight forward movement of the vehicle front wheels. The opening is closed at its lower end so that when the locking bolt is therein, the steering wheel and its shaft will be locked against outward axial displacement.

The hub head 3 may have a depending annular flange 42 surrounding the keeper element 33 and extending a distance into the annular recess 43 in the upper end of the flange 24 of the lock housing.

The locking structure, besides controlling the locking of the steering as described, may also control the locking of other automobile controls, for example, the ignition circuit. The structure shown is substantially like that disclosed in Mabee Patent No. 1,917,593, issued July 11, 1933. As shown on Figures 1 and 2, the extension 29 receiving the locking parts is in axial alignment with the steering shaft and extends rearwardly, the extension on its right side having a boss 44 in which is secured the casing 45 of a cylinder lock structure, the casing journaling the tumbler cylinder 46 which at its inner end carries a cam 41 for engaging in the cross slot 48 in the locking plunger 3|. Upon turning of the cylinder by the proper key, the locking plunger 3| may be shifted to steering looking or unlocking position, the lock ing plunger being held against rotational movement as by means of a pin or screw 49 projecting into a longitudinal groove 49 in the locking plunger, as shown on Figure 2. I i

The intermediate part 3| of the locking plunger 3| is of reduced diameter and journals a hub or ring 50. On its upper side of the extension 29 has the passageway 5| for a lever 52 extending from the hub 50, and in its lower side the ex tension has the opening 53 for apin 54 extending from the hub for engagement with a switch blade structure (not shown) for cooperating with terminals 55 and 56 with which a circuit, such as the ignition circuit, may connect. The circuit wires may be passed through a thimble 51 for passage through the hollow bracket I0 for connection with the battery and the ignition coil. The casing 58 containing the switch parts may be protected by a shield or housing 59 secured through the bracket ID as shown in Figure 2.

The hub 50 of the switch lever has the L-shaped hub'5ll being held against axial movement by the escutcheon plate 62 through which the lever extends. The pin and slot forms interlock between the lever and the plunger so that the switch can be operated for closure of the ignition circuit only when the locking plunger is in its position, and the locking plunger cannot be locking position until the switch lever has been moved to circuit opening position, the operation being substantially like that disclosed in the Mabee patent referred to.

In the structure described, the lock housing is pin 6| extending from the outer or steering unlocking directly under the steering wheel and well above the drivers knees and the lock operating key and the switch operating lever are in convenient position for manipulation by the driver. The wheel structure is directly locked against steering movment thus taking the strain off of the steering shaft in case attempt is made to force the steering wheel after it has been locked. In order to further secure the wheel to the keeper structure 33, one or more teeth 63 may be deflected from the hub ring It to engage in openings 64 provided in the bottom of the keeper structure as shown in Figure 2.

In the modified arrangement of Figure 4, the lock housing is shown constructed of sheet metal parts suitably formed by die operation. The lock housing body 65 is of rectangular shape and has the passageway 66 in its upper wall for receiving the keeper structure 33 which is secured to the wheel structure and to the steering shaft l3 in the same manner as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The body 65 is closed by a bottom wall 67 secured thereto, and the housing including the body 65 and the bottom 61 rests on the upper wall 68 of the bracket |0 to be secured thereto by bolts or rivets 69, a washer 10 being preferably applied against the inner side of the bracket Wall 68.

The bottom wall form the gland structure 1| for surrounding the steering tube |3 extending upwardly through the bracket, the upper end of the gland converging inwardly to form a seat for the washer 12 held by the spring 73 to snugly surround the steering tube. The body 65 has the extension 14 in which the sheet metal structure 15 provides a bore for the locking plunger structure 3| of which the locking bolt 32 may enter the opening 4| in'the keeper structure 33 for locking the steering wheel, the operation of the locking structure being the same as that of the locking structure shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

I have thus produced simple and conveniently operable lock structure mounted directly below the steering wheel for cooperation of its locking element with a keeper structure secured directly to the steering wheel so that steering movement of the wheel may be directly locked.

I have shown practical and efficient embodiment of the features of my invention but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, ar-

rangement and operation shown and described as,

changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. A locking and bearing assembly for the steering wheel and the steering shaft of an auto- 61 is deflected upwardly to I and thereby said wheel and shaft against steering movement.

2. A locking and bearing assembly for the steering wheel and steering shaft of an automobile comprising a housing spaced from and surrounding said shaft and terminating a distance below the hub of the steering wheel, said housing being deflected inwardly to provide an annular horizontal shoulder, an annular wall seated and secured on said shoulder and extending upwardly to the hub of the steering wheel, a bearing frame secured on said annular wall to surround said shaft and bearing element within said bearing frame engaging with said shaft to form a bearing guide therefor, an inverted cup shaped keeper structure secured at its bottom to the wheel hub and extending downwardly between said bearing frame and said annular wall and being provided with a lock bolt receiving opening, a lateral extension on said annular wall providing a bore, and a lock bolt shiftable in said bore for engagement with the keeper structure opening whereby to lock said wheel movement. e

RAY A. SANDBERG.

and shaft against steering m 

